The Innovation

Classes of porous metal organic materials with novel selective adsorption characteristics are developed with translinked chains of metal oxygen octahedra that are cross-linked by aromatic dicarboxylic acids. The materials contain diamond shaped channels that permit access of aromatic and other molecules. The general composition can be written as M(IV)O.ADA where M is a tetravalent metal and ADA is an aromatic dicarboxylic acid dianion. A specific example is the compound VOBDC where BDC is benzenedicarboxylate. VOBDC has been found to selectively adsorb thiophene from octane, a separation that indicates potential use for sulfur removal from gasoline. VOBDC also will selectively adsorb sulfur compounds such as dimethyl sulfide and thiophene from methane or ethane at a total pressure of 1 atmosphere pressure at ambient temperature.

Competitive Edge

Absorbents operate effectively at a total pressure of 1 atmosphere at ambient temperature.

The absorbents, therefore, are suitable for desulfurizing any fluid, gas or liquid, especially hydrocarbon fluids. The absorbents are better suited for hydrocarbon fluids having relatively low viscosity as use of the absorbents with higher viscosity fluids may result in unacceptable fluid losses.